


A New DS in Town

by detective_meg_riley



Category: Whitechapel (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 17:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/detective_meg_riley/pseuds/detective_meg_riley
Summary: It is Miles' farewell party, and Chandler has just announced who the new DS is going to be...





	A New DS in Town

It was Miles’ farewell party. Speeches had been made and much alcohol had been drunk.  
“So are we getting a new DS then? Do you know where he’s transferring from?” asked a drunken Mansell. The table was silent as everyone listened for the DI’s answer.  
“Well, actually,” Chandler began, standing up, “I was thinking of promoting one of the DC’s.”  
He looked at Kent. “Kent, your work ethic and dedication to the team have proved you are more than capable of taking on this role, and I would like to offer you the position of DS of Whitechapel Police Station.”  
Kent looked, moon-eyed, at his DI.  
“Of course, sir!”  
“Jesus, didn’t realise you get so far up the boss’s arse without actually shagging him,” Riley muttered under her breath to Mansell, who snickered. 

 

It was the Christmas party, held in the incident room. Mansell was out getting the keg and other supplies of that nature, while Kent was busy assembling the Christmas tree Ed had ordered for the office.  
Kent was very comfortable in the role that had been given to him, and had proved himself to be more than up to the job over the past few weeks, which were his first in his new position as DS.  
Miles had been invited to the Christmas party, because Kent thought it would be nice to have a final good-bye to the incident room and celebrate Christmas with the team one more time. Erica, too, would be joining them.  
Chandler, although pleased at his team’s happiness during this festive season, was of course somewhat disturbed by the ruckus and had shut himself in his office with the excuse that he would join the party once working hours were over and Miles had arrived.  
At 5:00 on the dot Miles walked into the room, followed by Erica ten minutes later.  
After talking to some of the DC’s for a while and congratulating Kent on how well he was adjusting to the role, Miles went to talk to his former DI.  
“I see things are getting along quite nicely here.”  
“Yes, Kent is doing a wonderful job. Of course, we still miss you around the office. It’s not the same.”  
“Hmm…” Miles was not one to express emotion openly – in that way, he was not too unlike his former boss.  
Miles and Chandler stood watching Kent attempting to put the angel on top of the tree while standing on one of the office chairs that had wheels. It was evidently not going to end well, especially when one considered that Kent had already had a number of ciders.  
“He’s going to fall,” Chandler muttered, and walked over to the tree to help Kent disembark from his ill-thought-out vehicle.  
Kent’s face flushed as the boss put his arms around him and scooped him off the chair, plonking him down on the linoleum tiles of the incident room floor.  
“Thanks, sir,” Kent said, breathlessly. Chandler suddenly noticed the whole room had gone quiet, and the team were staring at them.  
Chandler nodded at Kent, then returned to Miles to finish his conversation. Miles had a strange expression on his face.  
“Mind if I talk to you alone for a minute, boss?” he gestured towards Chandler’s office, where they could get some privacy.  
“Of course,” Chandler smiled, “but Miles, you know you don’t have to call me ‘boss’ anymore.”  
“Yeah well, old habits die hard,” came the reply. 

 

“Now, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Kent,” Miles made a vague gesture with his hands. “But I don’t think it’s right of you to be leading the boy on in that way.”  
“Leading him on?”  
“Yeah, you know what I mean, leading the lad up the garden path.”  
Chandler looked puzzled, and shook his head.  
Miles pointed to the stool on which Kent had been standing, “I mean that. You can’t just go putting your arms around him and sweeping him off his feet and not expect that you’re going to put some ideas in his head.”  
Chandler snorted. “Please, Miles, I hardly think there’s any risk of that. I mean, would you be saying the same if I had picked Mansell of that chair.”  
“Of course not! But you know that Kent has been making moon eyes at you since the day you became the team’s DI, and it’s not fair on him to make it seem like something’s going to happen if it’s not.”  
Chandler smiled and shook his head. “Miles, Kent is not gay. And even if he were, I highly doubt he’d be so unprofessional as to have feelings for his boss.”  
Miles looked at him incredulously.  
“Are you serious? Do you really have no idea?”  
“You’re wrong.”  
“You’re in denial. Either that, or you’re the worst detective I’ve ever encountered.”  
Miles shook his head in disbelief and left the room.  
Chandler sat in his office for a few minutes longer, mulling over what Miles had just told him. Surely it wasn’t true? He knew Kent thrived on his praise, but wasn’t that just his work ethic? Didn’t he just want someone to recognise what a good job he had done? Chandler himself found that he too thrived on recognition. That’s what made this job so appealing. The ranks, the awards: it was clear when you were doing things properly and when you weren’t.  
He looked out of his office window into the party that was happening in the incident room. Mansell was drinking from the keg while Erica and Riley were chanting, egging him on. Miles was looking on, with an expression halfway between disapprobation and curiosity. Kent had fallen asleep on his desk already. Chandler chuckled to himself. Surely Miles must have been wrong!


End file.
